What was on TV? Tues, May 3, 2005

20 years ago, Andrea Constand sued Bill Cosby for drugging and raping her. 13 potential witnesses detailed similar experiences with Cosby. The case was settled out of court. Let's see what was on TV.

9:00 Veronica Mars on UPN

1x21 "A Trip to the Dentist" (record House on Fox)

And so the mystery of Veronica's date rape is solved. Even as Veronica has spent the whole season searching for her best friend's murderer, this has lurked under all of it. The pilot tells us that Lilly Kane's murder changed Veronica forever, transforming her from a bubbly girl in a bad wig into the cynical short-haired spitfire we've come to love. Yet in the flashbacks from this episode she resembles the Veronica of old, partying with the popular kids in a fancy dress. And those take place after Lilly's murder. The experience of being violated by these people and dismissed by law enforcement was the final step in Veronica's radicalization and transformation.

In this episode, she finally learns the truth. The truth is that her rape was not straightforward but rather a patchwork affair. Asshole Dick Casablancas drugged his girlfriend Madison, who inadvertently drugged Veronica when she spat in her drink. Then Veronica's ex-boyfriend Duncan, himself drugged by Veronica's current boyfriend Logan, found her and they had sad and confused sex. It could feel like a cop-out. Psych! It wasn't actually rape! But the show's condemnation of the many, many people who failed to help Veronica or keep her safe when she could barely stand up is so clear. We know all these people; they've all popped up in cases Veronica has solved throughout the year. And they all failed her. Even Veronica's current boyfriend Logan Echolls failed her, and he vows to atone for his sins. But the people who truly have Veronica's back are not the rich and popular kids, they're her fellow outsiders. Wallace and his mother, Weevil, and of course her Veronica's father. And so Veronica Mars' exploration of rape culture circles right back around to the series' central theme of class.

I just made this episode sound very serious and dry. But it's so fun! A grand romantic declaration from Logan, an incredibly sweet moment between Veronica and Wallace, and some truly heart-stopping revelations in the final act as we head into next week's finale.

10:00 The Shield on FX

4x08 "Cut Throat"

Conventional wisdom holds that television is a character-driven medium, but I don't think that's quite right. Television is a relationship-driven medium. I watched Mad Men for Don and Peggy; Breaking Bad for Walt and Jesse, Succession for the Roy siblings, The Americans for Phillip and Elizabeth. All those characters are interesting by themselves, but together they're magic.

The most interesting relationship on The Shield is obviously the one between Shane and Vic. It's two people who could never be so monstrous by themselves as they are together. It's imtimate, it's fascinating, and it's thrilling. But it's not exactly rootable.

That's where Dutch and Claudette come in. We're supposed to root for them because they're "the good cops." That actually makes me resent them, these paragons that are supposed to balance out all of Vic's crimes. But I root for them because I root for their relationship. The show has truly tested their partnership: ideological differences, problems at home, and investigations from higher up that threaten their careers. But despite that, they remain not only colleagues, but true friends. They have each other's back no matter what, they joke around together and look out for one another. And a relationship like that stands out on The Shield in a big way. It makes it impossible not to root for them.

11:00 House (recorded)

1x19 "Kids"

On this episode of House the crabby doctor sexually harasses his boss Cuddy and proclaims that a job applicant sucks because she's wearing high heels. He almost redeemed himself when he kept his 12-year-old patient's pregnancy and abortion secret from her parents. I will always support a privacy rights warrior, and House's doublespeak descriptions of the pregnancy and abortion are hilarious. But if I'm reading the episode correctly, this 12-year-old was impregnated by her diving coach (though they're strangely vague on this point). And he does nothing about that! So he's lost me again. The asshole/hero balance was poorly calibrated in this one.

What Else Was On

• Paula Abdul was in the news with accusations of an inappropriate relationship with a contestant swirling, and a primetime expose scheduled for Wednesday. Tonight she judged American Idol and guest-starred as herself on All of Us.
• A NASCAR-themed episode of One Tree Hill was named after the then-new Bright Eyes album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Talk about worlds colliding!
• Danny Trejo and Jim Belushi of ABC's According to Jim guest-starred on an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-themed episode of ABC's George Lopez. Synergy!
• A dramatic crossover between Law and Order: SVU (by now the most successful show in the franchise) and the soon-to-be-cancelled Law and Order: Trial by Jury lined up guest stars Angela Lansbury, Rita Moreno, Alfred Molina, and Bradley Cooper.
• Before they were famous: Jennette McCurdy on Judging Amy, Zachary Quinto on Blind Justice

Late Night

Who was booking bands for Jimmy Kimmel live in the mid-2000s? Someone should interview them. All the late-night shows booked the big acts, and they all booked indie acts, people you'd hear about on The OC or MTV or in The AV Club. But the booker for Jimmy Kimmel was truly adventurous. They booked international acts, non-English language acts, PuffyAmiYumi, and generally found the people no one was paying attention to.

Case in point: they were the first late-night show to book M.I.A. And at least in 205, she wasn't "indie," she was genuine counterculture, totally outside the mainstream. And Jimmy Kimmel Live! didn't just book her, they let her be as insane as she wanted. This performance is crazy. It should come with a seizure warning: constant zooms, dutch angles, whip pans, it looks like the cameraman is both on drugs and constantly tripping over himself. Large portions of the performance get bleeped. But the song rocks, and M.I.A. has the charisma required to outshine all that insane camerawork. Excellent music and excellent television.

TiVo Status

3 episodes of Mystery! 3 hours.

Music, 20 years ago

Today, "Amazon" is my favorite song from MIA's debut album Arular. It's a song about Stockholm Syndrome? And also a call to revolution? But mostly a decolonization fantasy? Anyway, it's a proper banger. I may dance to it in my kitchen tonight.